94th Fighter Squadron
|allegiance= |branch= |type= Squadron |role= Fighter |command_structure= Air Combat Command |garrison= Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia |nickname= "Hat in the Ring" |equipment= "FF" |equipment_label= Tail Code |battles= World War I World War II Cuban Missile Crisis Operation Northern Watch Operation Southern Watch |decorations= |disbanded= |notable_commanders= Paul V. Hester Earle E. Partridge Eddie Rickenbacker Ennis Whitehead |identification_symbol= |identification_symbol_label= 94th Fighter Squadron emblem }} The 94th Fighter Squadron (94 FS) is a unit of the United States Air Force 1st Operations Group located at Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia. The 94th is equipped with the F-22 Raptor.94 Fighter Squadron (ACC) The 94 FS is one of the oldest units in the United States Air Force, first being organized on 20 August 1917 as the 94th Aero Squadron at Kelly Field, Texas. The squadron deployed to France and fought on the Western Front during World War I as a pursuit squadron. It took part in the Champagne-Marne defensive; Aisne-Marne offensive; St. Mihiel offensive, and Meuse-Argonne offensive.Series "E", Volume 9, History of the 94th Aero Squadron. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C. In 1924, it was consolidated with the 103d Aero Squadron (Pursuit). The 103d was largely composed of former members of the French Air Service Lafayette Escadrille (from the French Escadrille de Lafayette). This was a squadron of American volunteer pilots who had joined the French Air Service prior to the United States entry into the war on 6 April 1917. During World War II the unit served in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) as part of Twelfth Air Force as a P-38 Lightning fighter squadron, participating in the North African and Italian campaigns. During the Cold War it was both an Air Defense Command fighter-interceptor squadron as later as part of Tactical Air Command. It was one of the first USAF operational squadrons equipped with the F-15A Eagle in January 1976.Rogers, Brian. United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications, 2005. ISBN 1-85780-197-0. Overview The 94 Fighter Squadron is tasked to provide air superiority for the United States and allied forces by engaging and destroying enemy forces, equipment, defenses or installations for global deployment as part of the 1st Fighter Wing. The squadron flies one of today's most advanced air dominance fighters, the F-22A Raptor, being the USAF's second operational F-22 squadron in 2006. 94 FS aircraft, like other aircraft from the 1st Fighter Wing, have the tail code "FF". History The 94th Fighter Squadron has a long history and traditions that date back to World War I. The squadron was officially activated at Kelly Field, Texas, on 20 August 1917, as the 94th Aero Squadron. On 8 April 1924, the unit was officially consolidated with the 103d Aero Squadron which was organized on 31 August 1917. World War I : see 94th Aero Squadron for an expanded World War I history (center row, 6th from the left) became America's leading ace with 26 aerial victories.]] On 30 September 1917, two officers and 150 enlisted men left Texas for France and were sent to seven different aircraft factories for maintenance and repair training. In April 1918, the 94th was reunited and stationed at the Gengault Aerodrome near Toul, France, where it began operations as the first American squadron at the front. It was placed under the command of Major Raoul Lufbery, an ace pilot and veteran of the Lafayette Escadrille. As the first American squadron in operation, its aviators were allowed to create their squadron insignia. They used the opportunity to commemorate the United States' entry into World War I by taking the phrase of tossing one's "hat in the ring" (a boxing phrase to signify one's willingness to become a challenger) and symbolizing it with the literal image of Uncle Sam's red, white and blue top hat going through a ring. On 14 April, Lt. Douglas Campbell and Lt. Alan Winslow downed two German aircraft. These were the first victories ever scored by an American unit. No 94th pilot achieved more aerial victories than 1st Lt. Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker, who was named America's "Ace of Aces" during the war. In his Nieuport 28 and later his SPAD S.XIII, Rickenbacker was credited with 26 of the squadron's 70 kills during World War I. By the end of hostilities, the 94th had won battle honors for participation in 11 major engagements and was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm. The squadron was assigned to the 1st Pursuit Group based at Toul (5 May 1918), and subsequently at Touquin (28 June 1918), Saints (9 July 1918) and Rembercourt (1 September 1918). Rickenbacker took command of the squadron on 25 September, at the start of the Meuse Argonne Offensive, and retained it through the end of the war. Another flying ace of this squadron was Harvey Weir Cook. The 103d Aero Squadron constructed facilities, December 1917-1 February 1918; with flight echelon originally composed of former members of the Lafayette Escadrille, participated in combat as a pursuit unit with the French Fourth Army, French Sixth Army, Detachment of the Armies of the North (French), French Eighth Army, and the American First Army, 18 February – 10 November 1918. On 8 April 1924, the 103rd's history, honors and lineage were consolidated by the Air Service into that of the 94th Pursuit Squadron. Between the wars: 1920s and 1930s The squadron returned home in the spring of 1919, and after several moves, the 94th settled with the 1st Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, Michigan, in July 1922. In 1923, the unit was re-designated the 94th Pursuit Squadron. The squadron stayed in Michigan for the remainder of the inter-war years, training in its pursuit role. The squadron flew 17 different aircraft during this period, culminating with the P-38 Lightning. One week after Pearl Harbor, the 94th moved to San Diego Naval Air Station. Expecting to see action in the Pacific, the squadron instead received orders for Europe. In the summer of 1942, the 94th and its parent group deployed under its own power to England, the U.K., via Canada, Labrador, Greenland, and Iceland as part of Operation Bolero. This marked the first time that a fighter squadron flew its own aircraft from the United States to Europe. World War II In May 1942, all pursuit groups and squadrons were re-designated "fighter". In November the 94th Fighter Squadron entered combat in North Africa during Operation Torch. Based in Algeria, Tunisia, and Italy, the 94th again distinguished itself in combat by winning two Presidential Distinguished Unit Citations as part of the 1st Group. In addition, the squadron earned 14 Campaign honors, participating in almost every campaign in North Africa and Europe. 64 pilots of the 94th Fighter Squadron were credited with 124 Axis aircraft destroyed. The 94th produced a total of six aces in World War II. In April 1945 the 1st Fighter Group received two YP-80 jets for operational testing. The 94th Squadron's Major Edward LaClare flew two operational sorties in the YP-80 although without encountering combat. Cold War After the war, the 94th trained in the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, America's first operational jet fighter, and was stationed at March AFB, California. In July 1950, the group became the 94th Fighter Intercept Squadron (FIS) and was eventually assigned to Air Defense Command (ADC). After the P-80, the squadron flew several aircraft in the interceptor role, including the F-86, F-102 and F-106. In 1956, the 94th won the Worldwide Rocket Firing Meet held at Vincent AFB, Arizona. In the 1960s, the unit was among the first ready units sent to Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. The squadron carried out combat patrol missions off the coast of Florida, setting a record for F-106 hours and sorties. During the 1960s, the 94th, along with other ADC units, maintained an alert force in Alaska. With its supersonic F-106s, the squadron intercepted Russian bombers on missions over the Bering Sea. Then, in June 1969, with tensions mounting following the Pueblo Incident and the downing of an EC-121 electronic observation plane by North Korea, the squadron deployed to Osan AB, South Korea, for six months. On 1 July 1971, the 94th moved back to the USA, to MacDill AFB, Florida, as part of a realignment of the original First Pursuit Group. The squadron was designated the 94th Tactical Fighter Squadron, reassigned to Tactical Air Command, and reunited with the 27th and 71st Squadrons under the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW), flying the F-4E. The 94th assumed the duties of a Replacement Training Unit (RTU), providing F-4 aircrews for operational combat squadrons. In 1975, the 1st TFW moved to Langley AFB, Virginia, and began flying the F-15 Eagle. The squadron became combat-ready in early 1977. In September 1992, the squadron was renamed the 94th Fighter Squadron. The 94th Fighter Squadron did not deploy to Southwest Asia for the first Persian Gulf War, although many of its pilots and maintenance personnel did as augmenters to both the 71st and 27th Fighter Squadrons from the 1st Fighter Wing. The 94th successfully supported the UN-sanctioned Operation Southern Watch and Operation Northern Watch in Iraq with many deployments to Saudi Arabia and Turkey in the period leading up to the Iraq War. The 94th Fighter Squadron pilots repeatedly defeated Iraqi surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) attacks while enforcing UN sanctions, without loss or damage to a single aircraft. Since the September 11 attacks on the United States, the aircraft of the 94th have patrolled the skies of the East Coast of the United States. Modern era In 2006, the 94th became only the second operational squadron to fly the F-22 Raptor, receiving its first F-22 in June 2006, and receiving its full complement of F-22s, with tail number 05-094, in June 2007. This was due to the 94th FS trading tail number 086 for 094 with the 90th Fighter Squadron, which is part of the 3rd Wing based at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. http://www.langley.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123056187 Additionally, the 1st FW traded tail 05-084 to the 90th Fighter Squadron for tail 05-101. Tail 05-101 is the current 1st Fighter Wing flagship and flies as part of the 94th Fighter Squadron. 2013 Sequestration Air Combat Command officials announced a stand down and reallocation of flying hours for the rest of the fiscal year 2013 due to mandatory budget cuts. The across-the board spending cuts, called sequestration, took effect 1 March when Congress failed to agree on a deficit-reduction plan.Reduced flying hours forces grounding of 17 USAF combat air squadrons Squadrons either stood down on a rotating basis or kept combat ready or at a reduced readiness level called “basic mission capable” for part or all of the remaining months in fiscal 2013. This affected the 94th Fighter Squadron with a stand-down grounding from 9 April-30 September 2013. Lineage * Organized as 103d Aero Squadron on 31 August 1917 : Re-designated as: 103d Aero Squadron (Pursuit), 13 February 1918 : Absorbed American pilots of Escadrille de Lafayette (Aéronautique Militaire), 18 February 1918 : Re-designated as: 103d Aero Squadron, 4 March 1919 : Demobilized on 18 August 1919Series "E", Volume 7, History of the 103d Squadron. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C. * Organized as 94th Aero Squadron on 20 August 1917 : Re-designated as: 94th Aero Squadron (Pursuit), on 30 March 1918 : Re-designated as: 94th Aero Squadron, 1 June 1919 : Re-designated as: 94th Squadron (Pursuit), on 14 March 1921 : Re-designated: 94th Pursuit Squadron on 25 January 1923 * Reconstituted and consolidated with: 103d Aero Squadron, 8 April 1924 : Consolidated unit designated 94th Pursuit Squadron : Re-designated: 94th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 6 December 1939 : Re-designated: 94th Pursuit Squadron (Fighter) on 12 March 1941 : Re-designated: 94th Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 15 May 1942 : Re-designated: 94th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine, on 28 February 1944 : Inactivated on 16 October 1945 * Re-designated: 94th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 5 April 1946 : Re-designated: 94th Fighter Squadron, Jet Propelled, on 20 June 1946 : Activated on 3 July 1946 : Re-designated: 94th Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 15 June 1948 : Re-designated: 94th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 16 April 1950 : Re-designated: 94th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1971 : Re-designated: 94th Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991. Assignments ;; 103d Aero Squadron * Post Headquarters, Kelly Field, 31 August 1917 * Aviation Concentration Center, 5 November 1917 * 3d Air Instructional Center, 28 December 1917 * Air Service Headquarters, AEF, 13 February 1918 : Attached to Groupe de Combat 21, Fourth Army (France) 18 February 1918 - 10 April 1918 : Attached to Sixth Army (France) 11 April 1918 to 30 April 1917 : Attached to Army of the North (France) 31 April 1918 to 4 July 1918 * 2d Pursuit Group, 5 July 1918 * 3d Pursuit Group, 7 August 1918 * 1st Air Depot, 5 June 1919 * Advanced Section Services of Supply, 6–19 February 1919 * Eastern Department, 4 March-18 Aug 1919 ;; 94th Aero (later, 94th Pursuit) Squadron * Post Headquarters, Kelly Field, 20 August 1917 * Aviation Concentration Center, 5 October 1917 : Overseas transport: RMS Adriatic, 27 October-10 November 1917 * Headquarters Air Service, AEF, 12 November 1917 : Attached to French Air Service for training, 19 November 1917-24 January 1918 * 3d Instructional Center, 24 January 1918 * 1st Pursuit Organization Center, 30 March 1918 * 1st Pursuit Group, 5 May 1918 * 5th Pursuit Group, 20 November 1918 * 1st Air Depot, 17 April 1919 * Advanced Section Services of Supply, 5 May 1919 * Post Headquarters, Mitchel Field, 1 June 1919 * 1st Pursuit Group, 22 August 1919 to consolidation. ;; Consolidated Squadron * 1st Pursuit (later, 1st Fighter) Group, from consolidation in 1924 to 16 October 1945 * 1st Fighter (later, 1st Fighter-Interceptor) Group, 3 July 1946 : Attached to Alaskan Air Command, 13 October 1947 – 16 February 1948 * 4705th Defense Wing, 6 February 1952 * 27th Air Division, 1 March 1952 * 1st Fighter Group, 18 August 1955 * 1st Fighter Wing, 1 February 1961 : Attached to 314th Air Division, c. 6 June – 17 November 1969 * 23d Air Division, 1 December 1969 * 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 July 1971 * 1st Operations Group, 1 October 1991–present Stations ;; 103d Aero Squadron * Kelly Field, Texas, 31 August-30 October 1917 * Camp Mills, Garden City, New York, 5 November 1917 :: Overseas transport: RMS Baltic, 23 November-7 December * Liverpool, England, 8 December * Windall Downs Rest Camp, Winchester, England, 8 December * Southampton, England, 23 December * American Rest Camp, Le Harve, France, 24 December * Issoudun Aerodrome, France, 28 December * La Noblette Aerodrome, France, 13 Feb 1918 * Bonne Maison Aerodrome, France, 8 April 1918 * Leffrinckouke Aerodrome, France, 30 April 1918 * Crochte Aerodrome, France, 6 June 1918 * Gengault Aerodrome (Toul), France, 30 June 1918 * Vaucouleurs Aerodrome, France, 7 August 1918 * Lisle-en-Barrois Aerodrome, France, 20 September 1918 * Foucaucourt Aerodrome, France, 6 November 1918 * Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome, France, 5 Jun 1919 * Brest, France, 6-19 Feb 1919 * Garden City, New York, 4-18 Mar 1919 * Undetermined, 19 March-18 Aug 1919 ;; 94th Aero (later, 94th Pursuit) Squadron * Kelly Field, Texas, 20 August 1917 * Hazelhurst Field, Garden City, New York, 5–27 October 1917 * Liverpool, England, 10 November 1917 * British Rest Camp #2, Le Harve, France, 11 November 1917 * Reuilly Barracks, Paris, France, 18 November 1917 : Squadron divided into flights and sent to several locations in France for training * Issoudun Aerodrome, France, 24 January 1918 * Epiez Aerodrome, France, 1 April 1918 * Gengault Aerodrome, Toul, France, 7 April 1918 * Touquin Aerodrome, France, 29 June 1918 * Saints Aerodrome, France, 9 July 1918 * Rembercourt Aerodrome, France, 30 August 1918 * Noers Aerodrome, Longuyon, France, 20 Nov 1918 * Coblenz Aerodrome, Germany, 31 Dec 1918 * Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome, France, 17 Apr 1919 * Le Mans, France, 5–18 May 1919 * Mitchel Field, New York, 1 Jun 1919 * Selfridge Field, Michigan, 27 June 1919 * Kelly Field, Texas, c. 31 August 1919 * Ellington Field, Texas, 1 July 1921 * Selfridge Field, Michigan, 1 July 1922 to consolidation. ;; Consolidated Squadron * Selfridge Field, Michigan, from consolidation in 1924 * San Diego Naval Air Station, California, 9 December 1941 * Long Beach Army Air Field, California, 6 February – 20 May 1942 * RAF Kirton in Lindsey, England, 10 June 1942 * RAF Ibsley, England, 27 August – 24 October 1942 * Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria, 15 November 1942 * Nouvion Airfield, Algeria, 21 November 1942 * Youks-les-Bains Airfield, Algeria, 28 November 1942 : Detachments operated from Maison Blanche Airport, Algeria, 6–14 December 1942 * Biskra Airfield, Algeria, 14 December 1942 * Chateau-dun-du-Rhumel Airfield, Algeria, 14 February 1943 * Mateur Airfield, Tunisia, c. 20 June 1943 : Detachments operated from: Dittaino, Sicily, 6–18 September 1943 : Detachments operated from: Gambut, Libya, 4–12 October 1943 * Djedeida Airfield, Tunisia, c. 1 November 1943 * Monserrato, Sardinia, 29 November 1943 * Gioia del Colle Airfield, Italy, c. 10 December 1943 * Salsola Airfield, Italy, January 1944 : Detachments operated from: Aghione, Corsica, 10–18 August 1944 : Detachments operated from: Vincenzo Airfield, Italy, 9 January – 18 February 1945 * Lesina Airfield, Italy, 16 March 1945 * Marcianise, Italy, 26 September – 16 October 1945 * March Field (later, AFB), California, 3 July 1946 : Deployed at Ladd Field, Alaska, 13 October 1947 – 16 February 1948 * George AFB, California, 18 July 1950 * Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 18 August 1955 : Deployed at Osan AB, South Korea, c. 6 June – 17 November 1969 * Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan, 31 December 1969 * MacDill AFB, Florida, 1 July 1971 * Langley AFB, Virginia, 30 June 1975–present Aircraft 103d Aero Squadron * Spad VII, 1918 * Spad XIII, 1918 94th Aero (later, 94th Pursuit) Squadron * Nieuport 28, 1918 * Spad XIII, 1918-1919 * Fokker D.VII, Albatros D.V, Pfalz D.III, and Roland D.VI, during 1919 * Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5, 1919–1922 * Curtiss JN-4, JN-6, Airco DH.4, Orenco D, and PW-5, during the period 1919 to consolidation in 1924 * Thomas-Morse MB-3, 1922 to consolidation in 1924 Consolidated Squadron * Thomas-Morse MB-3, from consolidation in 1924 to 1925 * PW-8, 1924–1926 * P-1 Hawk, 1925–1931 * P-2 Hawk, P-3 Hawk, and P-5 Hawk, 1926–1931 * Boeing P-12, 1930–1932 * P-6 Hawk, 1932 * Berliner-Joyce P-16, 1932–1934 * P-6 Hawk, P-26 Peashooter, and Consolidated P-30 (PB-2), 1934–1938 * Seversky P-35, 1934–1941 * P-36 Hawk, 1938–1940 * P-40 Warhawk (and probably P-43 Lancer), 1939–1941 * P-38 Lightning, 1941–1945 * P-80 Shooting Star, 1946–1949 * F-86D Sabre Interceptor, 1949–1960 * F-106 Delta Dart, 1960–1971 * F-4 Phantom II, 1971–1975 * F-15 Eagle, 1976–2005 * F-22A Raptor, 2006–present See also * Barber pole for insignia on aircraft. * Hamilton Coolidge * Reed Chambers * David M. Peterson * Raoul Lufbery * James Meissner * List of American Aero Squadrons * List of World War I flying aces * Lafayette Flying Corps References * United States War Department (1920), Battle Participation of Organizations of the American Expeditionary Forces in France, Belgium and Italy, 1917-1919, Washington, Government Printing Office, 1920 Bibliography * Franks, Norman, et al. American Aces of World War I. Osprey Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84176-375-6, ISBN 978-1-84176-375-0. * Guttman, Jon. USAS 1st Pursuit Group. Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2008. ISBN 1-84603-309-8. * * Woolley, Charles. The Hat in the Ring Gang: The Combat History of the 94th Aero Squadron in World War I. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, . ISBN 0-7643-1427-0. External links * 94th FS USAF Fact Sheet * 14 July 2008 - 90th anniversary Commemoration of 27th, 94th, 95th, 147th aero squadrons in France 094 Category:Military units and formations in Virginia Category:Aviation units and formations of the United States in World War I 0094 Category:Aviation in World War I